The championship rings of the Texas Rangers will be presented before the second game of their World Series series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. This is a moment that the team and its fans have been waiting for, after 52 seasons in Texas and 63 overall for the franchise that began in 1961 as the second iteration of the Washington Senators.
The Commissioner’s Trophy was delivered by manager Bruce Bochy and pitcher Josh Sborz, who recorded the final out in Game 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in November. “I want to thank you for the tremendous support,” Bochy told the fans. He previously managed three World Series winners while with the San Francisco Giants. “Enjoy it,” he said, encouraging his players to embrace this victory.
Pitcher Max Scherzer, who was on the Washington Nationals’ 2019 championship team, said that he wants to enjoy himself with the fans and soak up this moment after restrictions from COVID-19 prevented fans from attending celebrations in 2020. He was part of a team that won a title twice in Game 6, only to fall one game short. The Cubs manager Craig Counsell also shared his thoughts on watching such ceremonies from an opposing team perspective: “You’re jealous of them,” he said honestly.
This is a special moment not just for tonight but also for tomorrow when they get their rings. The banner was lowered from Globe Life Field roof truss high above right field earlier today, signaling their first championship win in Texas and overall for the franchise that began as Washington Senators back in 1961. The Rangers lost their two previous World Series appearances — against Bochy’s Giants in 2010 and St Louis Cardinals in 2011 — falling short by one game each time.